Steam trap



1951 T. w. CLARK ET AL 2,542,969

STEAM TRAP Filed July 5, 1946 wvmrow 77/[0DORE W CLARK Hf/VR) H. M/ILTB/E Patented Feb. 27, '1951 .Maltbie, (Geneva, Ohio, assignors, by mesne as- *signments, toiStrong Steam Specialty Mfg. 500.,

ICE

aflleveland, Ohio, =a eorporation of .Qhio

Application du'ly15, 1946, Serial No. 681,581

(Cl. 236-i53) :'Glaims. 21

This invention relates to steam traps and more 'particularly, to steam traps 'oiit'he typewhioh include two separate and independent valve controlled disoharge orifices, namely, Ka a discharge or ifioe from the main hhamber of the trap and is controlled by =a' va1ve operated by a floait in-=sueh:ehamber, and '(li) a discharge orifice in a passageway which icy-passes said chamber and which is eontrolled by "a thermostatically operated valve. As the thermally oontrolled by-pass orifice is open when the steam system in which the trap is mounted is "below its normal operating temperatures, the provision in the trap-0T theby-pass orifice enables the trap to rapidly and direetlytfree the system of air and the system --thus more quieklyput into --nor-ma1operating condition. Thereafter, with the system operating at normal temperatures and with "the thermally controlled by-pass valve automatically closed, the main Tloat eon'trolled valve functions to maintain the -'system free of condensate and air.

The present inventionhas forone of its objects theprovis'ion ofa steam trap-of this type' in which the i fioat controlled main valve and the' thermally controlled by-pass valve are located in vertical alignment a'bove'and below a -common-'0u't1et passageway but with the thermally controlled bypass valve shielded and thereby protected from the heated condensate and air discharge by the main valve.

A more specific o'bj eot of the present invention is the provision of a protecting shield 01' ba'fiie for the thermally controlled by-pass valve.

A still more specific obiect "of the present invention :is the provision of a ioy-pass valve shield or doafilewhich sis anintegral'part of the lay-pass orifice mem'ber with Whichsueh valve cooperates, the "shield or 'bafile thus being of {exceedingly simple and inexpensive form but highly effective in its shielding function.

Other objectsofthe :present invention, and certain of its practical advantages, will be'ref'erred to in or will be evident from the following description :of one embodiment of the invention, as illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which :Fig. 1 is a, verticail sectional view of asteam trap embodying the present invention, the trap as shown hearing both or its discharge orifices closed by their :respeotive valves;

Figs. 2 and 3 are detail eross-seotional views of that portion of the trap "which contains the thermally controlled *bypass valve, :the views being respedtively on the lines 2-'2 and 3- 3 of Fig. 1'; and J Fig.4 is a fragmentary vertical sectional View, showing the thermally controlled flay-pass valve in open position.

Before the steam trap here illustrated is speoifically described, is to be understood that the invention here involved is not limited to the structural details or the particular arrangement of parts here shown, as steam traps embodying the present invention may take other forms. It also is to be understood that the phraseo'logy or terminology herein employed is for purposes of description and not of limitation, the scope of the present invention being denoted by the appended claims.

The steam trap here illustrated, for the disclosure of one embodiment of the present invent-ion, comprises a cup-shaped casing :9 closed at its top by a cover member l=l bolted or otherwise suitably secured to a rim flange 1-2 with which the casing is provided. -As here shown, the cover member H is provided With an upright integral extension I 3 of elongated form, the open upper end-of'w'hi'ch is-olosecl by a-cap i4 bolted or otherwise suitably secured in place.

At one side thereof, the casing as is provided with an inlet *port 15 for theconneotion of the trap in "a steam system and for the delivery to the tray of steam, condensate and air from such system. As -willbe evident fromFig. "1, the easing II! is provided with "two branch passageways leadingfrom the inlet "port "15, one being a down wardly extending passageway "t6 leading to a bottom inlet opening l"! of a float chamber iii, and the other being an upwardly extending passageway "H! which constitutes a section of .a bypass conduit to be hereinafter described. If desired' a drain opening, here shown as of threaded form, may "be provided in the bottom of the casing it immediately below the inlet opening -II, the drain opening normally being closed by a threaded plug or equivalent means,

as will he readily "understood.

In the normal operation of the trap, with the associated steam system at a-sufiicient temperature to maintain in closed position the thermally controlled valve (hereinafter desor'ibed) of the by-pass conduit, steam, sondensate and air entering the trap through the inlet port $5 t-hereof travel downwardly through the branch passageway "Hi to 'the heat chamber it. From this chamber, condensate and air are intermittently discharged through orifice member "2 0 threaded or "otherwise suitably seeuredin-a vertioallydisposed opening in the cover member I! and its upright extension For the *control of the discharge orifice of memorifice controlled by such valve.

3 ber 23, a, float operated valve 23 is provided, said valve being carried by a lever 24 having one of its ends pivoted at 25 to the casing l and from the other end of which is suspended a float in the form of an inverted bucket 26.

As will be readily understood, when suflicient steam or air is trapped in the inverted bucket 26, and there is a substantial amount of liquid condensate in the float chamber l8, the bucket floats and the valve 23 is thus held in orifice closing position up against its seat 21 on the lower end portion of the orifice member 23, an end portion which lies within the float chamber 18. When, however, the liquid condensate within the bucket 26 rises beyond a critical level,

due to escape of air through the vent aperture 28 in the top wall of the bucket, the bucket falls, with consequent movement of the valve 23 from its seat 2'! and the opening of the discharge Thereupon, condensate and air are discharged from the float chamber 18 by the pressure of the steam therein, the valve 23 remaining open until the bucket 26 is again raised to floating position, as will be readily understood.

For the discharge of condensate and air expelled from the float chamber 18, in normal trap operation; and for the discharge of air flowing through the hereinafter described by-pass conduit, in initial trap operation, the trap is provided with an outlet passageway having an upper section 33 thereof in the cover member H and its upright extension I3 and having a lower section 3| thereof in the casing ID. The lower section of the outlet conduit leads to an outlet port 32 with which the casing Ill is provided and to which may be secured a suitable discharge conduit (not here shown).

The thermally controlled by-pass conduit, which circumvents the float chamber I8 and which effects, when open rapid and direct discharge of air from the steam system in which the trap is mounted, comprises the heretofore mentioned branch passageway l9 in the casing 13, which leads upwardly from the casing inlet port I5, and also a communicating passageway 34 in the cover member I l and its upright extension I3. In the discharge end portion of the passageway 34 is frictionally retained or otherwise suitably mounted a discharge orifice member 35, which overlies the inlet end portion of the upper section 30 of the traps outlet passageway and which is in vertical alignment with the discharge orifice member 23 for the float chamber I8.

As clearly shown in Figs. 1 and 4, the by-pass orifice member 35 is enlarged at its upper end to receive a valve 33 for controlling the flow of air through the orifice of such member. The valve 36 is thermally controlled and as here shown, is slidably mounted on the bifurcated free end portion of a thermostatic lever 31 having its other end portion bolted or otherwise rigidly secured to the cover member extension l3. Due to the construction of the valve lever 31 from superposed layers of materials having differing co-eflicients of expansion, the fiexure of said lever, in response to temperature changes, is such that the valve 36 carried thereby is raised from its seat 38 at the base of the enlarged upper end portion of the orifice member 35 only when the steam system in which the trap is mounted is below its normal operating temperatures, such as when the system is being put into operation or into-normal operating condition. At such times,

air in the system is rapidly evacuated through the traps by-pass conduit, the air entering the now open by-pass discharge orifice member through its upper end and through circumferentially disposed apertures 40 in the side wall of the enlarged upper end portion of such member. When the steam system in which the trap is mounted is brought to its normal operating temperatures, which is more quickly accomplished, of course, because of the rapid evacuation of air through the traps by-pass conduit, the'thermally controlled valve 33 of the by-pass conduit is automatically closed, and thereafter, the condensate and air discharge come under the sole control,

of the float operated valve 23 for the float cham- V bers discharge orifice.

end closure 42 which may be, and here is, an integral part of said member. Above such end closure, in that portion of the orifice member which projects downwardly into the traps outlet passageway, are provided one or more aper tures 43 for lateral air discharge, there being four such apertures, in circumferentially spaced relation, in the present embodiment of the invention. The end closure shield or baflie 42 for the thermally controlled by-pass valve 36 is thus of simple and inexpensive form but one which is highly effective in its shielding function. The provision of such shield or baflie permits the two discharge orifices to be located in closely neighboring relation, for discharge into a common outlet passageway therebetween, but with full protection of the thermally controlled by-pass valve from the effects of discharges from the orifice of the float chamber. I

To those skilled in the art to which the present invention relates, other features and advantages of steam traps embodying the invention will be evident from the foregoing description of one such embodiment. I

Having described, our invention, we claim:

1. A steam trap, comprising a casing having an inlet port, means providing two separate and independent passageways from said inlet port to an outlet conduit, the discharge ends of said passageways being in opposed relation and discharging toward eachoth'er into said outlet conduit, a discharge orifice member in the discharge end of one of said passageways, a thermally operated valve for controlling the orifice of said orifice member, valve means for controlling said other passageway, and a shield or bafile for the thermally operated valve to protect it from the effects of discharges from the other passageway; said shield or bafile being carried by said orifice member between said thermallyoperated valve and the discharge end of the other passageway.

2. A steam trap, comprising a casing having an inlet port, means providing two separate and independent passageways from said inlet port to an outlet conduit, the discharge ends of said pas sageways being in opposed relation and discharg ing toward each other into said outlet conduit;

a discharge orifice member in the discharge and of one of said passageways, a thermally operated valve for controlling the orifice of said orifice member, valve means for controllin said other passageway, and a shield or baffle for the thermal- 1y operated valve to' protect it from the effects of discharges from the other passageway, said shield or baflie being integral with said orifice member and being disposed between said thermally operated valve and the discharge end of the other passageway.

3. A steam trap, comprising a casing having an inlet port, means providing two separate and independent passageways from said inlet port to an outlet conduit, the discharge ends of said passageways being in opposed relation and discharging toward each other into said outlet conduit, a discharge orifice member in the discharge end of one of said passageways and having an end portion projecting into said outlet conduit, a thermally operated valve cooperating with said orifice member in spaced relation to its projecting end portion for controlling the orifice of such member, valve means .for controlling the other passageway, and a shield or bafile carried by the projecting end portion of said orifice member to protect its thermally operated valve from the effects of discharges from the other passageway.

4. A steam trap, comprising a casing having an inlet port, means providing two separate and independent passageways from said inlet port to an outlet conduit, the discharge ends of said passageways being in opposed relation and discharging toward each other into said outlet conduit, a discharge orifice member of tubular sleeve form in the discharge end of one of said passageways and having an end portion projecting into said outlet conduit, a thermally operated valve cooperatin with said orifice'member in spaced relation to its projecting end portion for controlling the orifice of such member, valve means for controlling the other passageway, and a side aperture in the projecting end portion of said orifice member for lateral discharge into said outlet conduit, the end of said projecting end portion of said ljorifice member being closed to provide a "b'aflle to protect the thermally operated valve from the effect of discharges from the other passageway.

5. am trap, comprising a casing having an inlet port, means providing two separate and independent passageways from said inlet port to an outlet conduit, the discharge ends of said passageways being in opposed relation and dischargin toward each other into said outlet conduit, a discharge orifice member of one-piece tubular sleeveform in the discharge end of one of said passageways and having an end portion projecting int-osaid outlet conduit, a thermally operated valve cooperating with said orifice member in spec ed relation to its projecting end portion for controlling the orifice of such member, valve means for controlling the other passageway, and a sideaperture in the projecting end portion of said orifice member for lateral discharge into said tuner conduit, the end of said projecting end portion of said orifice member being closed to provide la shield or baffle integral with said orifioemember to protect the thermally operated valve from the effect of discharges from the other passageway.

THEODORE W. CLARK. HENRY H. MALTBIE.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the fileof this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Numben Name Date =986,967 Dunham Mar. 14, 1911 2,174,485 Zies Sept. 26, 1939 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 225,926 Germany Sept. 22, 1910 

